Winners Decided in Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race

The 2015 version of the Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race between Prince Albert and La Ronge is still wrapping up, but the winners have been decided.

Rick Wannamaker from Didsbury, Alberta claimed the top prize in the 12-dog event, while Christopher Lake’s Earl Stobbe came across the line first in the eight-dog portion of the race.

Wannamaker says he was just happy to compete, and winning the race was a bonus.

“Really, we didn’t come here with a big plan to win,” he said. “We just came to do the best we could with the dogs that we had and it’s kind of worked out really well. We rested at some key points, and I think it paid off in the end.”

The president of the race, Gill Gracie, says things went well this time around.

“We had some trouble with dogs getting sore wrists and shoulders — the trail was fairly hard-packed for part of it — so we did have some scratches this year, which we never like to see, but it happens,” she said. “But, yeah, we’re happy with (the race).”

The Canadian Challenge is a qualifying race for the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.